While both fighters maintain it’s not personal, the tension between Natasha Jonas and Lauren Price has been palpable leading up to their fight.
With Jonas’ WBC and IBF titles, and Price’s WBA welterweight belt on the line, the stakes are clear. However, this fight represents much more than just championship titles.
Price (8-0, 2 KOs) and Jonas (16-2-1, 9 KOs) will headline a women’s boxing event at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Friday.
The victor will join boxing legends who have triumphed at this iconic venue and, more importantly, advance towards a potential undisputed title fight against either Mikaela Mayer or Sandy Ryan, who are scheduled for a rematch on March 29.
The pre-fight exchanges have been strained. Price questions Jonas’ desire to face her, while Jonas suggests Price might not be her toughest opponent. Jonas has emphasized Price’s relative inexperience in high-stakes professional bouts.
This fight is also seen as a potential shift in the guard. Jonas, at 40, considered retirement recently. A victory over her younger rival could propel her towards a legacy-defining undisputed championship fight.
Price, 30, expresses strong confidence, using the mantra ‘Too young, too quick, too good.’
‘I believe I have faced a wider range of experiences. There are aspects of professional boxing at this level that Price has yet to encounter,’ Jonas stated.
‘Are you comparing your speed to Katie Taylor or Caroline Dubois? I am accustomed to elite speed. Price is quick for a 75kg boxer, but I have trained with fighters possessing truly exceptional hand speed.’
Price, an Olympic gold medalist, has asserted she could have contended for a world title in her debut professional fight, a claim Jonas dismisses.
‘When Price suggests I’m not as skilled as Mikaela Mayer, it seems like pre-fight rhetoric intended to provoke. She is aware of my abilities. This is a significant fight, and I respect her, but I am confident in my superiority across the board,’ Price commented.
‘My amateur career includes competing in every major tournament, making me the most decorated British amateur boxer. I have faced diverse styles – southpaws, orthodox fighters, aggressive and defensive opponents, and heavier boxers.’
‘While Jonas has more professional experience, examining her opponents beyond Katie Taylor, Mikaela Mayer, and Viviane Obenauf, I find her resume lacking in top-tier competition.’
Despite holding two title belts and possessing more experience, Jonas claims the underdog status.
Jonas’s trainer, Joe Gallagher, criticized those who have accepted the hype surrounding Price and underestimated his fighter.
‘Price has been knocked down in amateurs and sparring. She isn’t the invincible force being portrayed,’ Gallagher stated during a media workout.
‘My assessment is not emotionally driven. Many boxing experts are being swayed by the hype.’
‘Jonas has faced defeat, and we are not claiming invincibility. However,’
‘Lauren will lose a round and ultimately the fight on Friday. Remember my words, and be ready to acknowledge Jonas’s achievement and apologize for overlooking her in this matchup.’
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